Magnetorheological medical brace

ABSTRACT

The magnetorheological (MAR) medical brace includes a flexible outer shell that fits around the anatomical area to be braced and a plurality of adjustable straps for securing the shell onto the anatomical area. The shell encases a MAR pack filled with magnetorheological fluid or gel. A plurality of magnets is attached to or encased in the shell to provide magnetic field acting on the MAR pack. The interaction of the magnetic field with the MAR pack adjustably increases or decreases the stiffness of the shell depending on the strength of the magnetic field. A control mechanism is provided for selective adjustment of the magnetic field and other functions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/066,849, filed Mar. 10, 2016; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/228,620, filed Mar. 28, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.9,283,103; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/556,112, filed Jul. 23, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,610, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/510,432, filedJul. 21, 2011; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

TECHNOLOGY FIELD

This disclosure relates to medical devices and particularly to amagnetorheological medical brace with controlled stiffness for optimalsupport and recovery.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Any type of trauma or injury to a limb or bone requires a relativelylong time to heal. In many cases, the physician usually recommends atleast six weeks of recovery time. To ensure proper recovery, the limb orbone is immobilized either by braces, splints or a cast depending on theextent of damage. This stabilizes the bone or limb so as to prevent, inthe case of broken bones, undesirable misalignment of the set bone or inthe case of sprains or other types of injuries, any movement that maycause further injury or unnecessary pain. While such measures are quitesufficient, the immobilized limb and the surrounding muscles tend toatrophy due to lack of physical movement. It is not unusual for apatient to struggle through a post-recovery regimen of physical exerciseor therapy in order to gain the prior musculature and strength in theinjured anatomy.

Another complication to such healing is a matter of comfort andconvenience. As the patient endures the period of healing, therecovering area tends to itch, which is usually a positive symptom thatrecovery is going well. However, for some types of braces, it may bechallenging for the patient to reach the agitated area to scratch, whichoften ends in frustration and irritation. For some, it may even reachunendurable proportions such that the patient is forced to remove thebrace, splint or cast, which can jeopardize the healing progress.Moreover, attempts to clean the injured limb can be challenging. Sinceremoval of the brace, splint or cast prior to complete healing is notusually recommended, the patient typically forgoes cleaning of theinjured area during the period of recovery. This can lead to unsightlyaccumulation of dirt and grime or potential infections, especially forpatients who had undergone surgery for the injury.

In order to accelerate healing, re-strengthening of the injured area andincrease comfort and convenience for the patient, it would be moreeffective for a brace, splint or cast to be progressively loosenedduring the period of recovery such that the patient has some limitedmovement for exercising the limb as the limb heals, at least for arelatively short period of time. This can be conventionally facilitatedby frequent visits to the health care facility for doctor consultationand replacement or adjustment of the medical device. However, frequentvisits can be costly in terms of finances and time.

Sports braces such as those for the joints, e.g., ankles, wrists, kneesand elbows, also suffer from similar effectiveness deficiencies. Mostsports braces do not have any means of selectively increasing ordecreasing the stiffness of the brace. The inherent stiffness of aprescribed sports brace may be sufficient for most, but it could beproblematic for those suffering from weak joints or other joint relatedcomplications. For example, the stiffness of the brace may dramaticallyhinder movement, which decreases the benefits of the sports activityand/or the enjoyment thereof. Moreover, as time passes, the user mayrequire more or less support from the brace due to extended movement ofthe joint or from physical expenditure.

In light of the above, it would be a benefit in the medical arts toprovide an immobilizing device with adjustable stiffness for moreeffective healing, support, convenience and comfort. Thus, amagnetorheological medical brace having easily adjustable stiffness isneeded to solve the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY

Briefly, and in general terms, the claimed Magnetorheological (MAR)medical brace includes a flexible outer shell that fits around theanatomical area to be braced. The shell encases a MAR pack filled withmagnetorheological fluid or gel. A plurality of magnets is attached toor encased in the shell to provide magnetic field acting on the MARpack. The interaction of the magnetic field with the MAR pack adjustablyincreases or decreases the stiffness of the shell depending on thestrength of the magnetic field. A control mechanism may be provided forselective adjustment of the magnetic field and other functions.

These and other features of the medical device will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a magnetorheologicalmedical brace.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the magnetorheological medical brace.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of amagnetorheological medical brace.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of amagnetorheological medical brace.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a still further alternative embodimentof a magnetorheological medical brace.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the controls for a magnetorheologicalmedical brace.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The magnetorheological medical brace, a first embodiment of which isgenerally referred to by the reference number 10, provides adjustablestiffness and other features for optimum support, convenience andcomfort. The phrase “magnetorheological medical brace” will hereinafterbe referred to as “MAR medical brace.” In the exemplary embodiment shownin FIGS. 1 and 2, the MAR medical brace 10 may be a leg brace 12 havingan elongate shell or cover 14 adapted to be wrapped around the user'sleg L. The shell 14 is substantially semi-cylindrical orsemi-frustoconical in shape so that the shell 14 may easily wrap aroundand conform to the anatomy of leg L. The shell 14 is also relativelystiff or rigid to provide minimum support, as well as to retain thegeneral shape of the shell 14. However, the shell 14 should also beflexible to allow for some movement without much effort. The shell 14may be constructed from resilient, polymeric foam with some relativestiffness for minimum rigidity. Other materials such as neoprene,cushioned mats, elastomers, steel, plastics and combinations thereof mayalso be used as needed for some components of the brace.

The shell 14 can include a central through hole 18 where a patient's oruser's knee joint K may protrude. The hole 18 permits flexing of theknee without encumbrance. A plurality of adjustable attachmentconnectors, such as straps 16, may be disposed at spaced intervals alongthe length of the shell 14. These straps 16 secure the shell 14 onto awide range of leg girths. The straps 16 may be secured to the user byhook and loop fasteners, buckles, snap-fit fasteners or any other typeof adjustable connectors.

To facilitate adjustable stiffening of the leg brace 12, the shell 14includes a magnetorheological (MAR) cell, tube or pack 20 disposedinside the shell 14. The MAR pack 20 is preferably a packet or durableballoon filled with magnetorheological material in fluid or gel form.MAR material is a substance that can vary the material yield stresscharacteristics when exposed to a magnetic field. In other words, thestillness or rigidity of the MAR pack 20 varies, depending on thestrength of magnetic forces acting thereon. Thus, whenever the MAR pack20 experiences some degree of magnetic force or field, the whole legbrace 12 correspondingly stiffens or loosens proportionately to theoverall rigidity of the MAR pack 20. One example of such a MAR materialis a combination of carbonyl iron powder and silicone oil. It is to beunderstood that other MAR materials may also be used for the MAR pack20. In the preferred embodiment, the leg brace 12 is of unitaryconstruction formed in a molding process with the MAR pack 20 embeddedwithin the shell 14. As an alternative, the MAR pack 20 may be removablyinserted inside a cavity within the shell 14.

The magnetic force or field may be supplied by a plurality of magnetpacks, consoles or terminals 30 disposed on one or both sides of the legbrace 12. Each magnet pack 30 can include a permanent magnet or anelectromagnet of a given strength. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetpacks 30 are magnetically shielded on the outside to ensure thatmagnetic forces influence the MAR material, rather than anything elsethat may be nearby. When using permanent magnets, the physician or theuser may selectively change one for another of higher or lower strengthto adjust the of stiffness of the MAR medical brace 10. Similar resultsmay be obtained with an electromagnet by using a control mechanism toadjust the magnetic field strength, an example of which will bedescribed below.

In the preferred embodiment, the control mechanism 40 may be disposed inone of the magnet packs 30. As shown schematically in FIG. 6, thecontrol mechanism 40 includes a processor 42 for controlling the variousfunctions of the control mechanism 40 and is connected to a power source44 supplying power to the control assembly 40 and the electromagnets inthe other magnet packs 30. In a preferred embodiment, the power source44 can be a rechargeable and reusable battery, such as lead-acid, nickelcadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium ion (Li-ion), andlithium ion polymer (Li-ion polymer). As an alternative, the power maybe supplied directly from an AC source. To adjust the strength of theelectromagnet, the user can increase or decrease the amount of powerbeing supplied to the MAR pack 20 via the processor 42 to therebyselectively strengthen or weaken the magnetic field. The magnet pack 30may include an indicator light or display 32 that provides informationabout the operations of the control mechanism 40, e.g., ON, OFF and/orremaining power.

In addition to the basic control of the magnetic field or force, thecontrol mechanism 40 includes other features to help monitor thepatient's or user's healing and/or exercise progress. The controlmechanism 40 can include a sensor 48 that senses various activities suchas the frequency of wear, the intensity of the magnetic field, thefrequency of limb movement, and the like. This data may be recorded onthe data recorder 50 and transmitted wirelessly via a wirelesstransceiver 46 to a monitoring station, such as a central database in ahealth care facility or to a personal computer. The recorded andtransmitted data helps the physician or user calculate and determinephysical activity goals. Moreover, the data may be used to monitor theuser's adherence with the physician's recommendations. For example, ifthe physician prescribed a strict guideline and duration of wearing theleg brace 12 and the patient fails to comply, as evidenced by prolongedperiods of recorded inactivity, the transmitted data will note the lapseand alert the physician. Then the physician may follow up with thepatient in a timely manner to determine the cause. As an alternative,the data stored in the data recorder 50 may be retrieved at the end of agiven period of time instead of being transmitted by the wirelesstransceiver 46, especially for those who live in areas where wirelesscommunication is not available.

Data transmission and the data itself may be compromised by the magnetsused in the MAR medical brace 10. The magnets may cause magneticinterference, which can reduce the clarity of transmission from thewireless transmitter 46 and potentially damage the data recorded on thedata recorder 50. Since the control mechanism 40 will be subject tomagnetic interference from the magnets and/or electromagnets, at leastthe wireless transmitter 46 and the data recorder 50 are preferablymagnetically shielded to overcome potential magnetic interference.

While the above describes some of the user or patient defined adjustmentof the stiffness of the MAR medical brace 10, the control mechanism 40includes programming capabilities that may be preset by the physician orpossibly the user. For example, the physician may program the MARmedical brace 10 via the processor 42 to gradually decrease the magneticstrength from the magnet packs 30 over the course of the recommendedhealing or recovery time. This results in the stiffness or rigidity ofthe MAR medical brace 10 gradually decreasing as the patient heals andgrows stronger over time, which eliminates frequent visits with thephysician for similar adjustments. Moreover, the wireless transceiver 46may also function as a receiver in order to receive programs, physiciandirected adjustments and other commands remotely. In the case of the MARmedical brace 10 being worn for sports or recreational physicalactivity, the MAR medical brace 10 may be programmed by the user toincrease the stiffness over a user-defined period of time so that propersupport is maintained as the user becomes physically fatigued from thatactivity. This relieves constant manual readjustments from the user.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, these drawings show alternative arrangements ofthe MAR pack for selective reinforcement of the brace. In FIG. 3, theMAR medical brace 100 in the form of a leg brace includes a plurality ofMAR packs 120 embedded in the shell. The MAR packs 120 are shaped aselongate rods for longitudinal reinforcement of the MAR medical brace100. The MAR packs 120 are removably inserted into the shell. As analternative, the elongate MAR packs 120 may be molded with the shell. InFIG. 4, the MAR medical brace 200 includes a plurality of relative shortMAR packs 220 disposed inside the shell. These MAR packs 220 may beplaced in a variety of select locations on the MAR medical brace 200wherever selective stiffening is desired. In FIG. 5, the MAR medicalbrace 300 includes a MAR pack 320 that is relatively smaller than theone shown in FIG. 2. The configuration thereof provides adjustablestiffness in a localized area around the joint. The variety of differentMAR pack configurations is subject only to the changing needs of thepatient.

Thus, it can be seen that the MAR medical brace 10, 100, 200, 300 is ahighly adjustable brace that promotes optimum healing, convenience andcomfort for the user. The MAR packs 20, 120, 220, 320 provide an easyand simple means of adjusting the stiffness and rigidity of the bracefor increased comfort and freedom of movement as needed whilemaintaining the necessary support. The unitary and relatively simpleconstruction also allows the MAR medical brace 10, 100, 200, 300 to beeasily and inexpensively manufactured. In addition, the controlmechanism 40 provides increased functionality whereby the patient'sprogress can be easily monitored and tailored to the individual.

It is to be understood that the MAR medical brace 10, 100, 200, 300encompasses a variety of alternatives. For example, although theexemplary embodiments above describes the MAR medical brace 10, 100,200, 300 in terms of a leg brace, it is to be understood that theteachings thereof equally applies to all types of braces. Moreover, thecontrol assembly 40 is not limited to being installed in one of themagnet packs 30. Instead, the control assembly 40 can be a separatemodule or remote that can be carried by the user. Furthermore, it is tobe understood that the MAR medical brace 10, 100, 200, 300 is notlimited to human subjects or patients. The MAR medical brace 10, 100,200, 300 may also be used on other subjects, such as animals.

It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A magnetorheological (MAR) brace, comprising: aflexible outer shell having an ergonomic shape adapted to be proximateto an area of a user's anatomy; at least one MAR pack disposed insidethe outer shell, the at least one MAR pack being filled withmagnetorheological material; a plurality of magnets attached to theouter shell, the magnets exposing the MAR pack to magnetic field forcesadjustably stiffening or loosening the magnetorheological material; anda programmable control mechanism for selectively adjusting a magneticfield strength of the magnets, wherein selective adjustment of themagnetic field strength of the magnets increases or decreases a degreeof stiffness of the outer shell.
 2. The magnetorheological braceaccording to claim 1, wherein the programmable control mechanism isprogrammed by a user to increase or decrease the degree of stiffnessover a user-defined period of time.
 3. The magnetorheological braceaccording to claim 1, wherein the programmable control mechanism isprogrammed by a physician to gradually decrease the degree of stiffnessover a period of time.
 4. The magnetorheological brace according toclaim 3, wherein the magnetorheological material comprises a combinationof at least carbonyl iron powder and silicone oil.
 5. Themagnetorheological brace according to claim 4, wherein the at least oneMAR pack comprises a shape substantially the same as the flexible outershell, the MAR pack having smaller dimensions than the outer shell. 6.The magnetorheological brace according to claim 4, wherein the at leastone MAR pack comprises a plurality of elongate rod-shaped packetsdisposed at select locations inside the flexible outer shell, theplurality of elongate rod-shaped packets providing longitudinalstructural reinforcement for the flexible outer shell.
 7. Themagnetorheological brace according to claim 4, wherein the at least oneMAR pack comprises a plurality of short, elongate rod-shaped packetsdisposed at select locations inside the flexible outer shell, theplurality of short, elongate rod-shaped packets providing structuralreinforcement for the flexible outer shell at select locations thereof.8. The magnetorheological brace according to claim 1, wherein the magnetcomprises one or more permanent magnets.
 9. The magnetorheological braceaccording to claim 1, wherein the magnet comprises an electromagnet. 10.The magnetorheological brace according to claim 1, further comprising asensor that generates sensor data, a data recorder of the sensor data,and a wireless transmission of the sensor data.
 11. A method of bracinga skeletal structure of a user, the method comprising: providing amagnetorheological (MAR) brace for placement proximate to the user'sbody, the brace having a flexible outer shell having an ergonomic shapeadapted to be proximate to an area of a user's anatomy; disposing a MARpack inside the outer shell, the MAR pack being filled withmagnetorheological material; enabling attachment of a plurality ofmagnets to the outer shell, the magnets exposing the MAR pack tomagnetic field forces which adjustably stiffen or loosen themagnetorheological material; and programming a control mechanism toenable selective adjustment of the magnetic field strength of themagnets to increase or decrease the degree of stiffness of the outershell.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the controlmechanism is enabled for selective adjustment by a user to increase ordecrease the degree of stiffness over a user-defined period of time. 13.The method according to claim 11, wherein the control mechanism isprogrammed to gradually decrease the degree of stiffness over a periodof time.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein themagnetorheological material comprises a combination of at least carbonyliron powder and silicone oil.
 15. The method according to claim 14,wherein the at least one MAR pack comprises a shape substantially thesame as the flexible outer shell, the MAR pack having smaller dimensionsthan the outer shell.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein theat least one MAR pack comprises a plurality of elongate rod-shapedpackets disposed at select locations inside the flexible outer shell,the plurality of elongate rod-shaped packets providing longitudinalstructural reinforcement for the flexible outer shell.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the at least one MAR pack comprises aplurality of short, elongate rod-shaped packets disposed at selectlocations inside the flexible outer shell, the plurality of short,elongate rod-shaped packets providing structural reinforcement for theflexible outer shell at select locations thereof
 18. The methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the magnet comprises one or morepermanent magnets.
 19. The method according to claim 11, wherein themagnet comprises an electromagnet.
 20. The method according to claim 11,further comprising: associating a sensor with the magnetorheological(MAR) brace that generates sensor data, a data recorder of the sensordata, and a wireless transmission of the sensor data.